Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
There was a lot to love about tonight’s all-new episode of The Good Place (“Employee of the Bearimy”). Shawn’s (Marc Evan Jackson) Kevin Spacey reference made me legitimately laugh out loud, and Jason Mantzoukas’ Derek smelling a champagne glass filled with Scrabble letters was a pure chef’s kiss. But even in an episode that featured Michael and Jason risking an eternity of bee-related torture to save Janet from the diabolical clutches of the Bad Place, the best part of tonight’s Good Place was the continuation of one of the best running subplots on television: Jason Mendoza’s (Manny Jacinto) everlasting love for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Earlier this season, a Bad Janet disguised as a Good Janet revealed to Jason that the Jags had cut his beloved Blake Bortles. Even though Bad Janet was purposely sabotaging Michael and Eleanor’s new experiment, this turned out to be an honest statement. One year after signing a three-year, $54 million contract extension with Jacksonville, Bortles was released after a disastrous season that saw the Jaguars limp to a 5-11 record.
Interestingly enough, after delivering the bad news, faux Janet tells Jason that she’s “genuinely sorry.” Good Janet wouldn’t need the “genuinely” qualifier, which leads me to believe that even an abrasive sentient database like Bad Janet feels genuine sympathy for Jason. That’s how much this endearing dummy loves Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars!
Tonight’s episode concludes with the reunited trio of Jason, Michael, and Janet traveling back to The Good Place on an old-fashioned railroad handcar (naturally). During their trip, the topic of conversation shifts to Blake Bortles.
“Bad Janet was so mean to me,” Jason says, looking like a handsome bank robber from the 1950s who’s being forced against his will to pull off “one more score.” “She told me so many lies. Like, she said that the Jags cut Blake Bortles. Can you believe that?” At this point, a reluctant Janet informs Jason that Bortles truly was released and replaced with Nick Foles. If you’re unfamiliar with Foles, the former backup quarterback memorably replaced an injured Carson Wentz during the 2017 season, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to an improbable playoff run that culminated in an upset Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.
Jason’s reaction to the news is one that any sports fan will recognize. “Nick Foles?! Are you kidding me?” Jason asks, seemingly upset. “He won a Super Bowl! We’re gonna be unstoppable!” he exclaims with glee before Jason, Michael, and Janet all share a cathartic “Foleeeeeeees.” If you’ve been following the Jaguars, you know the story is far from over.
In Week 1 of the 2019 season, Foles suffered a broken left clavicle, forcing the quarterback to miss the first ten weeks (at least) of the regular season. While this injury happened on September 8th, long after The Good Place shot tonight’s episode, production dubbed in an extra line to reference the real-life injury.
“Oh no. Nick Foles just broke his clavicle,” Janet says, which elicits a visceral “nooooooo!” from Jason.
Sure, Nick Foles’ injury was a bummer. And, yes, Jacksonville’s current 3-4 record is less than ideal, but look on the bright side:
After Foles’ injury, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew took over for the Jags. The mustachioed QB has morphed into a folk hero in Jacksonville, and while we know the final season of the series has already been shot, we fully expect another ADR miracle to help introduce Minshew Mania to The Good Place.
